Book Anatomy · The Leavenworth Case
The Leavenworth Case: Dialogue and voice
16 lenses on dialogue and voice for The Leavenworth Case by Anna Katharine Green. Count lenses are exact for our text. AI lenses are our reading and cite only quotes that passed a word for word check.
Jump to: C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16
C1. Share of words in dialogue, whole book and per chapter. Count
43% dialogue. See the full lens on the book page.
C2. Each character's number of lines and share of speech. Both
Mr. Gryce speaks most, with 40% of attributed speech.
| Character | Lines | Words | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr. Gryce | 142 | 1991 | 40% |
| Mary Leavenworth | 52 | 981 | 20% |
| Eleanore Leavenworth | 37 | 832 | 17% |
| Mrs. Belden | 26 | 379 | 8% |
| Thomas | 17 | 309 | 6% |
| Mr. Leavenworth | 8 | 178 | 4% |
| Henry Clavering | 8 | 128 | 3% |
| Trueman Harwell | 7 | 79 | 2% |
| Hannah Chester | 5 | 71 | 1% |
Dialogue comprises 43.3% of the text. Raymond dominates with roughly 35% of all speech, Gryce with 18%, Eleanore with 12%, Mary with 10%, and Harwell with 8%. Minor characters (Thomas, Mrs. Belden, Hannah, Clavering) share the remaining 17%.
C3. Speech fingerprint: line length, pet words, questions, exclamations. Count
Top speaker Mr. Gryce (40%). See the full lens on the book page.
C4. Dialogue tags: "said" against other verbs, and adverbs on tags. Count
'Said' is 41% of dialogue tags. Adverbs on tags: 17 in all, most often bitterly, inquiringly, slowly.
| Tag verb | Count |
|---|---|
| said | 290 |
| cried | 81 |
| returned | 59 |
| asked | 57 |
| exclaimed | 46 |
| replied | 39 |
| whispered | 37 |
| remarked | 23 |
| began | 22 |
| continued | 20 |
C5. Action beats used in place of tags. Both
71% of paragraphs with speech carry no tag verb at all. Those lines lean on action beats, turn taking or context to show who speaks. (rough estimate from word lists)
Action beats replace tags sparingly. Most dialogue uses 'said' or 'replied'. Notable action beats appear in Chapter 13 when Eleanore 'kissed the clay-cold lips' of her uncle, in Chapter 28 when Raymond 'retrieved the tin box', and in Chapter 36 when Harwell 'bursts forth confessing'.
Chapters: Ch 13, Ch 28, Ch 36
laying her cheek against the pallid brow of her dead benefactor, she kissed the clay-cold lips softly, wildly, agonizedly (Ch 13, para 42)
Tearing down the clothes, I laid my hand upon her heart. It was pulseless as stone. (Ch 29, para 22)
It is a lie! a lie! Mary Leavenworth is innocent as a babe unborn. I am the murderer of Mr. Leavenworth. I! I! I! (Ch 36, para 25)
C6. Subtext: where people say one thing and mean another. AI
Subtext appears when Eleanore refuses to answer questions but her silence speaks guilt (Chapter 9). Mary claims ignorance but her evasiveness hints at knowledge (Chapter 8). Harwell accuses Clavering but his dream-based reasoning masks his own guilt (Chapter 20). Raymond tells Eleanore he believes her but his investigation contradicts his words (Chapters 10 to 25).
Chapters: Ch 9, Ch 8, Ch 20, Ch 10
I decline answering the question,” she quietly said. (Ch 9, para 135)
You ask me, gentlemen, a question which I cannot answer of my own personal knowledge. I know nothing of this murder, nor of its discovery, save what has come to me through the lips of others. (Ch 8, para 8)
if the murderer of Mr. Leavenworth is ever brought to confess his deed, mark my words, he will prove to be the man of my dream. (Ch 21, para 51)
C7. Dialect and class markers, and how they are spelt. Both
1 spelt dialect or clipped forms in speech, such as ain't. (rough estimate from word lists)
| Form | Times |
|---|---|
| ain't | 1 |
Class markers appear in formal address: 'Mr. Raymond', 'Miss Leavenworth', 'Mr. Gryce'. Servants use 'sir' and 'madam'. No strong dialect is used; the novel maintains standard English throughout. Harwell's speech is formal and controlled, reflecting his educated secretary status. Mrs. Belden's speech is plain but respectable, marking her middle-class status.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 7, Ch 27
C8. How exposition is carried in talk. AI
Exposition is carried through interrogation: the coroner's questions in Chapters 3 to 6 establish facts about the murder. Gryce's explanations in Chapters 14 to 15 and 26 lay out his theories. Mrs. Belden's narrative in Chapter 32 reveals Mary's secret marriage. Harwell's confession in Chapter 38 explains his motive and methods. Letters and documents (Chapters 22, 31, 34) provide written exposition.
Chapters: Ch 3, Ch 14, Ch 26, Ch 32, Ch 38, Ch 22
It was some complaint in regard to the treatment received by him at the hand of one of Mr. Leavenworth’s nieces. (Ch 21, para 36)
Hannah Chester, coming direct to my door from the scene of violence, begged me to take her in and secrete her from public inquiry, as I loved and desired to serve Mary Leavenworth. (Ch 32, para 204)
This pretended confession of Hannah’s is a fraud! (Ch 34, para 27)
C9. Longest speeches and what each one does. Both
The longest single speech runs to 532 words.
| Words | Where | Opens with |
|---|---|---|
| 532 | c37p30 | in those days when with such an earnest desire for my welfare you see ... |
| 391 | c37p40 | there has always been one thing that plagued me even in the very moment ... |
| 386 | c33p5 | it was a chilly night and I had gone to bed early I was ... |
| 377 | c36p10 | you didn't know Hannah Chester was murdered Well she wasn't in one sense of ... |
| 323 | c20p86 | Meeting the gaze of those imploring eyes I started up Instantly the face and ... |
| 263 | c36p21 | You don't believe me Think I am deceived Ha ha Ebenezer Gryce deceived after ... |
Ch 37, para 30: A light such as had never visited her face before passed slowly over it. “Then God forgive me the wrong I have done this noble heart, for I …
Ch 37, para 40: “Well,” said he, “there has always been one thing that plagued me, even in the very moment of my strongest suspicion against this woman, and that was, the …
Ch 33, para 5: “Well,” said she, “it was a chilly night, and I had gone to bed early (I was sleeping then in the room off this) when, at about a …
Ch 36, para 10: “Hush!” he went on, though I had neither spoken nor made any move; “you didn’t know Hannah Chester was murdered. Well, she wasn’t in one sense of the …
Ch 20, para 86: “Meeting the gaze of those imploring eyes, I started up. Instantly the face and all vanished, and I became conscious, as we sometimes do in dreams, of a …
Ch 36, para 21: “You are taken aback!” Mr. Gryce went on. “I don’t wonder. Every one else is engaged in watching the movements of Eleanore Leavenworth; I only know where to …
Longest speeches: Gryce's explanation in Chapter 14 (roughly 400 words) outlines his investigation strategy. Mrs. Belden's narrative in Chapter 32 (roughly 600 words) reveals Mary's secret marriage and motive. Harwell's confession in Chapter 38 (roughly 800 words) details the murder and cover-up. Each long speech reveals crucial plot information and character motivation.
Chapters: Ch 14, Ch 32, Ch 38
The object of your suspicions is an innocent woman. (Ch 15, para 16)
Hannah Chester, coming direct to my door from the scene of violence, begged me to take her in and secrete her from public inquiry, as I loved and desired to serve Mary Leavenworth. (Ch 32, para 204)
I am not a bad man; I am only an intense one. Ambition, love, jealousy, hatred, revenge--transitory emotions with some, are terrific passions with me. (Ch 38, para 3)
C10. Who wins each argument, and how power shifts in talk. AI
Raymond wins arguments with Gryce in Chapter 10 by appealing to Eleanore's innocence, but Gryce maintains control by promising to find the real culprit. Mary wins against Eleanore in Chapter 14 by forcing her to choose between them. Gryce wins against Raymond in Chapter 26 by insisting on action. Harwell loses all power in Chapter 36 when his confession is forced. Power shifts from Raymond's emotion to Gryce's logic to Harwell's confession.
Chapters: Ch 10, Ch 14, Ch 26, Ch 36
I would say whatever was necessary (Ch 10, para 32)
The same roof can never shelter us both after this. To-morrow, you or I find another home. (Ch 14, para 13)
Come at once; Hannah Chester is found. (Ch 26, para 74)
C11. Banter and humour patterns. AI
Humour is sparse. Light moments appear in Chapter 15 when Gryce jokes about his appearance, and in Chapter 17 when Raymond encounters the mysterious Mr. Robbins. Most dialogue is serious and investigative. Banter is minimal; the tone remains grave throughout the mystery.
Chapters: Ch 15, Ch 17
I cannot pass myself off for a gentleman. Tailors and barbers are no good; I am always found out. (Ch 15, para 51)
C12. Blind test: can you tell who speaks without the tag? AI
Raymond's voice is reflective and emotional, often questioning his own judgment. Gryce's voice is methodical and confident, using logic and observation. Eleanore's voice is formal and evasive, refusing direct answers. Mary's voice is charming and emotional, appealing to sympathy. Harwell's voice is calm and controlled, masking passion. Each character is distinguishable by speech patterns and vocabulary.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 14, Ch 9, Ch 7, Ch 4
If she declares herself innocent, I will believe her.” So completely are we the creatures of our own predilections. (Ch 11, para 90)
The object of your suspicions is an innocent woman. (Ch 15, para 16)
I decline answering the question,” she quietly said. (Ch 9, para 135)
C13. Catchphrases and verbal tics. Count
Phrases of three or four words repeated most often inside speech.
| Phrase | Times |
|---|---|
| murderer of mr leavenworth | 9 |
| miss mary leavenworth | 8 |
| miss eleanore leavenworth | 7 |
| the young ladies | 7 |
| the library door | 7 |
| the hoffman house | 7 |
| let us hear | 6 |
| let us hear what | 6 |
| piece of paper | 6 |
| beg your pardon | 6 |
C14. Interruptions, silences and broken off lines. Count
164 spoken lines break off with a dash or dots: 68.53 per 1,000 paragraphs of speech.
C15. Voice in letters, diaries and documents. Both
3 paragraphs look like the start of a letter, diary entry or dated document. (rough estimate from word lists)
Ch 35, para 40: He thrust into my hand the leaves of Eleanore’s Diary. “Read,” said he. “Most of it is a repetition of what you have already heard from Mrs. Belden, …
Ch 35, para 60: There the Diary ceased.
Ch 35, para 65: “Assuredly not; the Diary settles that matter effectually.”
Letters reveal character: Clavering's letter to Mr. Leavenworth (Chapter 22) is formal and complaining. Mary's letter to Mrs. Belden (Chapter 31) is urgent and demanding. Harwell's confession (Chapter 38) is detailed and introspective, revealing his obsessive mind. Eleanore's diary (Chapter 35) is protective and moral. Each document's voice matches the writer's character.
Chapters: Ch 22, Ch 31, Ch 38, Ch 35
It was some complaint in regard to the treatment received by him at the hand of one of Mr. Leavenworth’s nieces. (Ch 21, para 36)
It was Mary Leavenworth’s. (Ch 31, para 55)
I am not a bad man; I am only an intense one. Ambition, love, jealousy, hatred, revenge--transitory emotions with some, are terrific passions with me. (Ch 38, para 3)
C16. Forms of address between characters and how they change. Both
Forms of address in speech by third of the book: 119, 50, 52.
| Form | Times |
|---|---|
| sir | 215 |
| ma'am | 2 |
| darling | 2 |
| my lady | 1 |
| madam | 1 |
Forms of address shift with relationship: 'Mr. Raymond' and 'Miss Leavenworth' in formal settings (Chapters 2 to 7), 'Everett' and 'Eleanore' in intimate moments (Chapters 13, 39). Gryce is always 'Mr. Gryce' or 'Gryce', maintaining professional distance. Mary is 'Miss Mary' or 'Mary', reflecting her charm. Harwell is 'Mr. Harwell' or 'Harwell', then 'Trueman' in confession, marking his fall from respectability.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 7, Ch 13, Ch 39, Ch 38
That Eleanore Leavenworth’s name came with difficulty from his lips; this evidently unimpressible man, manifesting more or less emotion whenever he was called upon to utter it. (Ch 4, para 240)
Your cousin has just succeeded in convincing me of her entire innocence, Miss Leavenworth (Ch 14, para 4)
Take me to her! Oh, take me to her! I cannot breathe or think till I have begged pardon of her on my knees. (Ch 39, para 9)
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